92 Points - Wine EnthusiastStranahan's Small Batch Colorado Whiskey is produced in Denver at Colorado's first and only micro-distillery. Made from barley grown in the Northern Rockies and water originating at the snowy peaks, the mash undergoes two distillations: one in a combination still like most scotch, and one in a column still like most bourbon. It is then aged in heavily charred new American oak casks for two years. It gains a surprising level of maturity in this time, due to the humid, hot and variable climate. Finally, this unique spirit is bottled without the use of chill filtering, preserving all of its body and complexity.The result is a distinctive spirit that stands outside of the expected. While there are some similarities to bourbon - hints of brown sugar, caramel and orange appear on the nose and palate - it also shares some of scotch's floral character and has an earthy, leathery quality all its own. Much more than a mere curiosity, Stranahan's Small Batch Colorado Whiskey is an excellent bottling by any standard.